Well, now we know why the author of this much gossiped about, heavily marketed new book wanted to remain anonymous: “O: A Presidential Novel” is a thoroughly lackadaisical performance — trite, implausible and decidedly unfunny.

Though the novel’s publisher has borrowed the marketing strategy of “Primary Colors” (whose Anonymous author was later revealed to be the journalist Joe Klein), “O” has none of that book’s panache or satiric wit. In fact “O” bears about as much resemblance to “Primary Colors” as “Primary Colors” did to “All the King’s Men.”There has been plenty of online speculation that the author of “O” may be a political reporter, blogger or onetime member of President Obama’s staff, but while he or she clearly has a feel for what it’s like to be on the campaign trail, much of what passes for inside knowledge in these pages would be known to anyone who’s read a bunch of campaign accounts, subscribed to Mike Allen’s “Playbook” and watched “Morning Joe.””